Oriental Rug Cleaning since 1881.
Hand-finished cleaning for every Oriental rug tradition — Persian, Turkish, Caucasian, Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and beyond. Free pick-up across five metros.
Continuously cleaning oriental rugs since 1881.
Same family, same standards, four generations of craft.
Listed by the Oriental Rug Buyers Guide as one of the country's top rug cleaners.
Accredited member of the Better Business Bureau, Memphis chapter.
"Oriental rug" is one of the most misunderstood phrases in the rug industry. The term is geographic — it traditionally refers to hand-knotted rugs woven in the regions stretching from Turkey eastward through Iran, the Caucasus, Central Asia, India, Tibet, and China — but it has nothing to do with whether a rug is machine-made or hand-knotted. A hand-knotted oriental rug is a fundamentally different object from anything you can buy at a department store, and it requires fundamentally different cleaning methods.
Fred Remmers Rug Cleaners has been cleaning oriental rugs since 1881. Four generations of family training. We are recognized in the Oriental Rug Buyers Guide as one of the country's top rug cleaners, and we use methods that respect the construction of each individual rug — never one-size-fits-all chain-store cleaning.
The cleaning process for an oriental rug starts with inspection: identify the construction (Persian, Turkish, Caucasian, Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, or other regional tradition), test for dye stability, document any damage or repair needs, and decide on the appropriate method. Heavy hand-dusting removes the fine grit that home vacuuming cannot reach. Pre-treatment of stains is done by hand. The wash itself is by full immersion in a large workshop tub when the construction allows; surface methods are used for delicate antiques and pieces with fugitive dyes. Drying is in a controlled-humidity room, and the rug is inspected a second time before delivery.
Hand-finished work for every Oriental rug tradition.
Each weaving region has its own materials, knot styles, and cleaning challenges. We have decades of hands-on experience with all of them.
Persian (Iranian)
Tabriz, Kashan, Isfahan, Heriz, Qom, Nain, Bijar, Mashhad, Kerman — fine, dense knot counts and often sensitive natural dyes. Our most-handled tradition.
Turkish (Anatolian)
Hereke, Ushak, Kayseri, Konya — symmetrical (Turkish) knot, often higher pile, frequently rich madder reds. Robust construction, but some dyes need careful pH management.
Caucasian
Kazak, Shirvan, Kuba, Karabagh — bold geometric patterns, longer pile, traditionally vegetable-dyed. Often antique and require conservative cleaning.
Indian
Agra, Jaipur, Mirzapur, Bhadohi — wide range from antique Mughal weaves to modern hand-tufted. Cleaning method depends entirely on construction; we identify before cleaning.
Tibetan & Nepalese
Cut-loop wool with cotton or wool foundation. Often higher-end contemporary design pieces. Specific cleaning methods preserve the loop pile distinct character.
Chinese
Antique Peking, Ningxia, and Tibetan-Chinese, plus modern Beijing-style. Silk highlights are common — they require dedicated low-pH cleaning to prevent fiber damage.
The same careful method since 1881.
1. Inspection
Identify construction, knot density, fiber, and condition. Document any damage or pre-existing repair work.
2. Dye-stability test
Test each color on the rug to identify fugitive dyes that need protective handling during cleaning.
3. Hand-dusting
Heavy hand-dusting removes embedded particulate that home vacuuming cannot reach — often pounds of grit per rug.
4. Hand pre-treatment
Stains and high-traffic areas are pre-treated by hand, with chemistry chosen for the specific stain and rug.
5. Wash
Full-immersion wash in a workshop tub when the construction allows; surface methods for delicate antiques and fugitive-dye pieces.
6. Controlled drying
Drying in a controlled-humidity room, never in direct sun. Final inspection and any necessary fringe finishing before delivery.
Oriental rug cleaning across 5 metros.
Hand-finished cleaning for oriental rugs in every market we serve. Free pick-up, free delivery.
Frequently asked questions.
What counts as an oriental rug?
Why does an oriental rug need specialized cleaning?
How long does oriental rug cleaning take?
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Learn more about rug cleaning.
Available across five metros.
Free pick-up and delivery in every city we serve. Tap a city for local details and your nearest phone number.